The Digital Service Squad team at Chatham-Kent Economic Development and the Small Business Centre, in partnership with WEtech Alliance, are proud to present a series of digital training events for local businesses. The events, which are running over the course of February and March, will visit different towns across Chatham-Kent and help businesses owners and entrepreneurs learn how to take advantage of a variety of online tools.
The world is changing. Small businesses must think about how to promote online, use e-commerce, and streamline their processes with digital tools to stay competitive. Over the past four months, the Chatham-Kent Economic Development Digital Service Squad (DSS) has been out in the community helping businesses one-on-one improve their digital footprint. The new education sessions are designed to help provide answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. These sessions offered include:
- Introduction to Google and Facebook Analytics (Wallaceburg | Blenheim)
- Shopify Your Business
- Introduction to Business Social Media
- Making Search Engines Work for Your Business
“The first session we made available is on analytics and will be hosted in Wallaceburg. The community response has been really positive and within 48 hours of opening registration we had requests to bring the same event to Blenheim and surrounding area – so we are,” said Kevin Vadovic with the Digital Service Squad. “We have a total of five events planned that will also include Tilbury and Chatham. We will look at opportunities to host additional events in other communities as well.”
“We know that small businesses are the backbone of our communities, which is why we must be working to make sure that we have thriving main streets, downtowns, and commercial areas” said Doug Robbins, Economic Development Officer. “By increasing the competitiveness of small businesses, it helps to attract visitors, create jobs, and ensure that our urban and rural communities are here for generations.”
In addition to hosting events, the Digital Service Squad are also providing businesses with free one-on-one digital assessments and training to learn how to implement the most suitable digital tools. This includes learning how to set up a website or social media presence, providing a free 360-degree video of your location, help with setting up or updating your Google My Business profile, assisting in growing your social media presence, and establishing email marketing.
“We are excited to be partnered with Chatham-Kent Economic Development because it’s our hope that through the use of technology, local businesses will not just be sustainable but will actually scale and grow,” said Yvonne Pilon, President and CEO of WEtech Alliance. “As part of our ongoing commitment, we are bringing business scale-up experts every month to meet one-on-one with eager entrepreneurs who are looking to take their plans to the next level.”
To learn more about the Digital Service Squad and to find a complete listing of business events, visit the Economic Development website at www.investck.ca.
